When the market is feeling ill, look around for the VIX: the CBOE index that charts fear—or maybe just sensible pessimism—in the marketplace. Read more
The food colossus announces a surprising split, dividing its legacy grocery division and its growing snacks and international divisions—led in part by soap salesman turned international marketer Sanjay Khosla. Read more
Chicagoans have reason to reject ketchup on their hot dogs, but still need to appreciate the condiment as a near-perfect creation and its role in the education of one's palate. Read more
The last living witness to the Lincoln assassination tells all, or at least all that he can remember, on the mid-century game show "What's My Secret?" Read more
The BGA manages to get the total bill for the police detail that the veteran alderman and, uh, Finance Committee chair has had since the Council Wars years. It's even more than you might have guessed. Read more
The debt ceiling debate has widened the progressive-centrist rift in the Democratic party, as liberals vent their frustrations at the president. In practical terms, it's misplaced. Read more
The city's overnight homeless services get axed, as Division of Family and Support Services faces layoffs. But don't entirely blame the city—the fraying of the social safety net starts at the top. Read more
No matter how bad they are, the Cubs always outdraw most teams in baseball. But during previous failed seasons, there was something interesting about the team. Could this year be the one that they're both bad and boring enough to give the franchise some incentives? Read more
Two studies, one by the CDC and another by a Loyola prof, find that suicide rates correlate with U.S. unemployment rates and mass layoffs, respectively. A third has similar findings for Europe, but also suggests traffic fatalities decrease during times of economic hardship, which may explain local trends. Read more
The ranks of the city's TMA take about a fifty-percent cut. It's a dangerous job and a scorned position, but is it worth the money? No one seems to think so, but no one seems to know, either. Read more
